The Cosmological Argument

- A cosmological argument argues from the existence of the world and its perceived state of order to the existence of a creator, or God

Aquinas' Cosmological Argument

- 13th Century

- 5 Ways - "Summa Theologica"

- The Unmoved Mover - Everything that is moving or changing is moved or changed by something outside of itself. The instigator is also in motion or changing, and so on. Infinate regress is impossible so there must be a first mover independant of everything else. This is what is understood to be God

- The Uncaused Causer - Every effect has a cause. Nothing we experience is caused by itself. As there cannot be infinate regression, there must be a first cause, understood to be God. This is based on Aristotle's views on causation, as God is too the final cause of the universe

- Contingency and Necessity - Everything in nature is subject to change. It is possible for a thing not to be, then come into existence, and then cease to exist. If this is so, then at some point there was nothing that existed at all. Therefore, there must be something that brings contingent things into existence, since othing can come from nothing, however this being must necessarily exist in order to bring the contingent world into being. This…